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The first days

I don't have much free time or computer access right now, but it seems prudent to let my friends and family know that Geo and I made in to Juneau. We left Palmer and drove, drove, drove through the night. Around 3 a.m., I stopped at a lookout near the pass at Haines Junction and passed out on a bench for three hours before driving the last 100 miles to Haines to catch my ferry. That Alaska highway is really not built for a loaded-down Geo driving in the ungodly hours of the morning. I made it over the endless potholes and gravel patches OK, but I came precariously close to running out of gas when I drove 150 miles without seeing an open gas station — and, more importantly, I ran out of any access to cold caffinated beverages. Still, I gotta hand it to Geo. He's been through a lot, and he's been a good car.

Right now I'm homeless and logging in long training days at my new job. I'm staying at a National Forest campground on a lake near the Mendenall Glacier. It's fun to wake up every morning to a view of large chunks of ice floating in the deep blue water, but living in Juneau in a tent during the rainy season is not as romantic as it sounds. I have to take showers to dry out.

I've found the time to do exactly one bike ride, and haven't even really spent any time looking for a home yet, so my plan tomorrow is to spend an entire day riding my bike to all of the available places within a 12-mile radius. Only a 70 percent chance of rain tomorrow. Not bad.

When my wife and I finished the Appalachian Trail in 2001 and decided to relocate to northeastern Minnesota we ended up camping in a nearby State park until we found a place. The hardest part was not having a phone. We kept getting voicemail when we would respond to ads for rental places. We couldn't leave a message because we didn't have a phone for people to call us back on. Luckily we finally called a number and a real live person answered. That one worked out for us.

I've been enjoying your blog and promise to send many good vibes your way! I feel your pain when it comes to driving long distances...as one who lives in the SECOND largest state in the U.S. (but don't let my fellow Texans see that I typed that!)...getting between places in Texas is often a multi-hour affair...